2019-04-05  -   RESIDE BEGINS REBUILD OF ST PETER'S CHURCH, ROPLEY

On the morning of Thursday 19th June 2014, the 800 year old St Peter’s Church in Ropley was almost completely destroyed in a catastrophic fire. 

The church interior and roof has been severely damaged and virtually everything inside it has been destroyed, including the organ, altar, pulpit, tapestry kneelers and irreplaceable historic records and photographs - even those stored in the safe.

The 'Raise St Peter's' team note that: 'The flint walls and part of the tower are still standing. The oldest part of the church (the tower and South Chapel) and the porch have survived the best. The safety of the bell tower had caused concern whilst the bells were still in position as it was not known how strong the charred oak beams supporting them were.' 

Planning permission for the rebuild was granted by East Hants District Council in June 2017, followed by faculty authorisation from the Diocese of Winchester. 

Working with Winchester architects Alexander Design, Reside Construction commenced site preparations in February 2019, with a key handover ceremony - ably assisted by local schoolchildren - in March.

We're looking forward to restoring this cornerstone of Ropley to the local community over the coming months.

See more: 

Raise St Peter's - photo gallery pre- and post-fire

Alexander Design - design plans for the rebuild